# Row, Row, Row Your Boat

"Row, Row, Row Your Boat" is an American nursery rhyme in print since 1852, usually sung as a round, whose four short lines end on the surprisingly reflective thought that "life is but a dream".

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Sung in | English |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | 1852 |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | playful, traditional, calming |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/row-row-row-your-boat/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (en)

Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

## How to sing it

1. Teach the short tune to everyone first — it is only four lines.
2. Split into two, three or four groups, each starting a full line after the one before.
3. Mime rowing, pulling the oars in time, so hands and voices move together.
4. Agree how many times round you will go before you start, or it never ends.

## Common questions

**How old is "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"?**

The earliest printing of these words is from 1852, though with a different tune. The melody everyone knows was first recorded with the words in 1881, credited to Eliphalet Oram Lyte in "The Franklin Square Song Collection".

**Why is "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" sung as a round?**

Because it works as one. Like "Frère Jacques", its short phrases fit together in harmony, so different groups can start at different points and the parts overlap pleasantly. It can be arranged for up to four voices.

**Why does a children's song say "life is but a dream"?**

That closing line gives the little rowing song an unexpectedly reflective turn — a gentle, almost philosophical thought tucked into four lines — which is part of why it has stayed memorable long past the nursery.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia — Row, Row, Row Your Boat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Row,_Row,_Row_Your_Boat)
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6960010